I just downloaded and installed darktable 4.4.2 and it appears grayed-out in my Windows 11 machine. Only the logo and a selected image look normal.
I’ve uninstalled and closed win 11 and reloaded it twice and it looks the same.
Downloaded from where?
What’s grayed out?
Maybe post a screenshot
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Do you mean the UI…this is intentional if that is what you mean ie its bland and gray… this helps not to bias your editing… It can be changed in preferences… but I am not 100% sure this is what you are talking about
EDIT I have a few tweaks using CSS but the main choices are shown in the drop down in the this screenshot …again if this is what you are referring to…
Try changing the theme in preferences? The current default does appear pretty grey if you’re not used to it.
If the UI has a lot of color in it then this throws our color perception very badly, so this is the reason for the default grey look. Do try the different themes as others have suggested.
I like the one just called “darktable”, FWIW. 
That screen image is what I see. It just looks wrong, sorry for the wasted time.
Frank
Wrong for a word processor but not photoediting…good thing is its easy to change… you might like this one better then…
user.zip (4.9 KB)
This comes from @difrkaguilar Franklin… he has been tweaking things to be easier on the eyes and to ignore the bland gray used to keep your perception more neutral while editing
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Here I left two screenshots of the last version of the theme if someone wants to see a preview before use it.
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This is why Adobe still exists. I wanted to get off of Adobe’s apps but some open-source devs don’t think about user experience, which is why darktable and GIMP are failing.
I downloaded darktable and thought it was broken because the text contrast is really bad. I also couldn’t find where to change settings so I just gave up.
I’m sorry but the default theme should at least make it readable. You can still have a darker grey that provide you with contrast, like lightroom does.
why bothering about an outdated darktable release?
Nice You’d have better time to learn why on dt the theme is more gray than dark. That’s a design decision for the best of our user’s experience. Anyway, since you have alternatives that works best for you don’t bother to post here, or maybe you are just a troll!
Sorry the default isn’t too your liking…this is a pretty old post …but DT has a gear icon that is pretty obvious and the first tab has alternate themes and also for more advanced users access to a section to enter css to customize it…
I think if you were stumped by this then the many other various nuances and technical aspects of DT are also likely not something that you would enjoy but its still here…we are on 4.8.1 and v 5.0 will out this Christmas… you will find lots of people here that will help if you decide to take another run at it…
Nice to meet you too.
You should try the manual. Let me help you: darktable 4.6 user manual - general
I agree with @priort that if finding the preferences is too complicated and frustrating for you, then darktable is probably not something you should bother with.
With a new, higher contrast theme, I believe.
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You are correct…
HC version
STD
Toggling it will really highlight why that would improve UI but also likely really impact edits…
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Maybe I’m just flaunting my youthfulness, but I don’t have issue reading the standard theme.
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I have a sort of hybrid…I like black for the contrast on the scopes …and graphs but the rest is the std gray…
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Yay, my photo 
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